Easy jobs made harder than they need to be.....

I am all for technology and progress, and there can be no doubt that many things are now better than any of us could ever have imagined, however not everything is for the better....

At the back end of last week, one of my headlights blew, so I popped online and ordered two sets of good quality bulbs; I was happy to wait a few days for them to arrive, not least as it was going to allow me to replace all four bulbs at the same time with upgraded, whiter bulbs, and the fact that I was getting them for over fifty quid on shop prices.

They arrived on Tuesday, and I thought I had nothing else to do but pop them in, so on Tuesday afternoon I popped the bonnet and quickly arrived at the conclusion that unless I was fitted with hands that were about the size of a toddler and had the dexterity of a surgeon, as well as having three wrist joints, there was no chance I was changing the bulbs in a hurry.

After asking the experts on another forum that I frequent, I was armed with the information that I needed to change the bulbs, and successfully managed to do just that this morning.


The process? Open bonnet, remove engine bay cover above the radiator, remove headlight assembly from the car (yes, completely) before removing the rubber cover to access the bulbs. Don't get me wrong, there was nothing particularly difficult about the job, but having to completely remove the headlights from the car to change a bulb??!?!? Not a chance of this being a roadside repair nowadays.

 

Unfortunately, FC, that seems to have been the trend for some years. My Focus CMax is the same, if I want to replace the bulb of a headlight I have to take the complete unit out which is a time consuming, fiddly and frustrating job.

 

Like Clueless, the job on Mrs Shiney Volvo was very simple the other day. She needed a new headlight bulb.

I had the choice of driving into town (12 mile round trip) and spending 45 minutes (including parking and buying) and then working at replacing the bulb - I'm useless at DIY, or doing the two mile round trip to our local garage.

I phoned the garage first and they told me to come down at 3 p.m. I arrived two minutes early! They changed the headlight bulb and one of the (twin) rear bulbs that we hadn't noticed wasn't working. I was back home at 3.10. Cost:- £6 . Thanks Martin

 

I think you'll find it differs from model to model of the CMAX, Harry. The Garage who has serviced my cars for nearly 30 years and knows his stuff had to phone his friend at the Ford Dealers because he was sure that is how it should have been but there was no clamp for the unit. The whole unit is held in by 6 bolts and the Dealers advice was to remove the whole unit. My CMAX is the 2 litre diesel Ghia with the electric handbrake. Now while I love the car, as it's fast and very comfortable, with all the gizmo's the clutch was expensive to renew [over a £1,000] as was the electric handbrake control box [over a £1000 again]
So while I will get another new CMax next year I will make sure it's got a mechanical handbrake

 

Are you talking about after a session at the Pub, Pete??